Map: Comparing Nondiscrimination Ordinances in Texas Cities

The Plano City Council last night voted to extend its nondiscrimination policy to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.

There are now nine Texas cities with a population of more than 100,000 that have passed some nondiscrimination rules or legislation. This map shows what types of policies major Texas cities have on the books.

Has ordinance protecting against discrimination

Uses other means to protect against discrimination

Provides no explicit protection

For at least a decade, Dallas, Austin and Fort Worth have had ordinances offering lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents some degree of protection against discrimination in employment, housing and other public areas like buses and restaurants.

On May 29, the Houston City Council passed an ordinance that extends equal rights protections to gay and transgender residents of the state's most populous city. San Antonio passed a similar rule in September.

In 2000, Fort Worth became the first Texas city to pass an ordinance to protect all individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation. The city expanded the ordinance in 2009 to also protect individuals on the basis of gender identity.

In 2002, Dallas expanded its nondiscrimination ordinance to include citywide protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Austin amended its nondiscrimination ordinance in 2004 to address sexual orientation and gender identity.

El Paso's city charter lists protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity for city employees, but they are not sanctioned by city ordinance. The policy has included provisions for gender identity and sexual orientation since 2003.

In 2012, Brownsville's city council adopted a resolution protecting city employees against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Arlington explicitly prohibits city employees from discriminating against people on the basis of sexual orientation but not gender identity. The rule is part of the city's employee handbook, and it applies to employees both on and off the job.

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This story is obscure and un-informative for having three reporters work on it. Beyond the slogans about equality, what exactly do these laws mean? What are some scenarios where these laws would apply? If a private business refused service out of a religious conviction, would they cited under these ordinances?

And now the "don't tread on me Teapublicans" think cities should be prohibited from putting anti sexual orientation discrimination laws on the books. Once again, they are not about small government, but about government that does whatever they want.

Here's the take away: 82% of Texans live in a city where it is legal to deny a person service in a place of public accommodation because of there sexual orientation or gender identity or expression and 89% live in a city where it is legal to fire or deny employment because of a person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

The current nondiscrimination policy was discussed in the Killeen Daily Herald when Killeen received a 10 of 100 score on a national equality study. The Killeen mayor is quoted saying, “I have not been asked by anyone to implement (any policies), and certainly that would be a discussion for council that would involve city staff." (http://kdhnews.com/news/killeen-scores-out-of-on-national-equality-study/article_2b459814-7208-11e4-b235-3bbcaad897cd.html)

It will take people talking to those in their city councils about amending the current nondiscrimination laws to include those of the LGBT community.

State rep Jeff Leach tweeted out he was writing legislation to stop this religious persecution. He's too late with his faux outrage, Donna Campbell already has. Is Leach willing to tell Toyota he thinks it's ok for Plano businesses to discriminate against their LGBT employees in the city of their new headquarters? We look like IDIOTS to the real business world for pulling this crap. Toyota has an HRC diversity rating of 100%. They do NOT believe in discriminating against gay people. There will be huge backlashes from business and boycotts like Arizona faced if we continue down this ridiculous path. This is BAD for Texas businesses.

Plano's so-called "nondiscrimination" ordinance is incredibly problematic, especially for it's trans exclusions. All educational institutions are excluded, as are all nonprofit organizations. All gender segregated spaces are excluded from coverage, targeting trans persons. The City Attorney says that access will be based on "physical characteristics," meaning genitals. How they propose checking was left to the discretion of those who wish to discriminate under the green light this policy provides. You can watch her expressing her transphobia in the video prior to the vote: http://planotx.swagit.com/play/12082014-1248

Read the full text of the ordinance to see how the initial paragraphs promising "nondiscrimination" are whittled away, mainly erasing the trans community but also all folks who might benefit from being able to file a complaint based on sexual orientation or gender identity when access homeless shelters, domestic violence services or shelters, or other crisis services. All those with less of a voice are exempted.

And of course, who cares if students are completely exempted -- we have no problems with bullying in Texas! (Note: 85% of trans and gender nonconforming students in Texas experience harassment, assault, or sexual assault, and about a third of it comes from teachers.)

What is particularly disappointing is that Equality Texas is supporting this, or at least is letting others advertise that they are. Why? They have said they have funders who want to see this as a win.

Sell the trans community and all those with less of a voice. That Gay Inc for you.